Buttercream. Vanilla. Fondant. Dark chocolate. Brown sugar. Molasses. Baking has always been my true love, but it wasn’t until my mother’s death, and the unexpected inheritance of Serendipity Gardens, that my bliss called me. Bittersweet. But Serendipity Gardens has more to offer than just a potential shopfront. An unusual recipe box left to me by a distant relative might be the key to unlocking my dreams.

Too bad the most powerful family in Chancellor has plans that could turn those dreams to ruins—literally.

Too bad the son of that powerful family is just the kind of guy I’ve been looking for.

Horatio

I suppose being heir to the Hunter family’s Blushing Grape Winery should make me happy, but nothing could be further from the truth. With my mother gone, my father has taken me under his wing, and I despise everything about the way he does business. Sour grapes, indeed. Instead of raising money for charitable causes, my true passion, I’m chasing my father’s manifest destiny.

Too bad his dream includes paving paradise.

Too bad the property owner is the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.

They say the course of true love never runs smooth.

But that’s nothing a magical cupcake can’t solve.

First Sentence:
Holding the whisk tightly, I swirled the pale-yellow batter around the bowl, the sweet scents of vanilla, brown sugar, and bitter dark chocolate perfuming the air.Purchase At:Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Book DepositoryAudible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com, at my request.

Julie's dad inherited a little cottage, that Julie thinks looks like a witches cottage, in Chancellor. Julie should be heading back to college, but can't bring herself to do so as it's a degree her recently deceased mother wanted her to take. Julie wants to bake. Her dad mentions that Chancellor college has a culinary program. When Julie enters the run down shop and home, Serendipity Gardens, to put it up for sale, she falls in love with the style of the house, and the kitchen. She's found the place she wants to be but another wants the spot for his own use. Mr. Hunter has sent his son on the mission to purchase the property. Horatio finds more than he expected when he meets Julie.

This is the first time I've listened to Hollie. She does well of voicing Julie and her pain, and a different tone for her father. Hollie makes all her characters individual. Horatio sounds like a man with a shorter feel to his words and his sister, Viola, has a softer sound. Something I noticed as well, I like that I can't hear her breathing between words. The story is told with a seamless flow and easy to listen to.

I had to smile at how Julie and Horatio meet. Innocent yet clumsy. Julie doesn't know it, but her boldness to live life as she wants inspires Horatio do the same. They are both not the person that one of their parents is making them be. They both share in this struggle in their lives. They also share that each have lost a parent to cancer. Though they are still hurting from the lose it's not the complete focus of the story, and I love that. They are working to keep going forward as they remember.

We have a few characters that join us in helping them find their selves and connecting Horatio and Julie. Viola, Horatio's sister, is a lovely person. She sees what Horatio is wonderful at, organizing events, and she has great advice for her brother. Viola is so right! But they are suppose to follow the family business. And Horatio realizes it's not what he wants to do. Horatio's dad, Aaron Hunter, is a business jerk. It's all about what he wants and now.

The three ladies that were dear friends with Mrs. Aster are a delight! They have the knowing way about them. Reminds me of the good witches. lol. They adopt Julie when they meet and learn who she is. Then, Julie learns who they are. Oh this is so sweet!

I adored the movie Simply Irresistible with the delicious food and spark of love with the magic in the food. This book fills that same spot in my heart, not for the stories being similar but for the magic in the food and love. Blended with the Good Witch who finds a new home that accepts her and her apothecary ways.

Such a sweet story that I enjoyed. I enjoyed how the writing flowed with the characters. This feels like a lovely series to enjoy as people find themselves and each other, friends or more.

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About Me:

I'm happily married with a son, working through the day undercover as a book keeper in the mundane paper shuffling. But by night I enjoy journeying through fantasy worlds created by others and of my own. I read Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, some Science Fiction, Paranormal and all in YA as well.

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Quotes from Books, which caught my eye...

"It's always Ragnarok. Regular mortals have the power to blow the world sky-high and all the major supernatural factions can do the same. The thing is, though, as long as people want to live then you're going to have people stepping in the way of those who want to do something to blow us up. That's the only way you can endure it."Ben Talbot, By C.T. Phipps in Esoterrorism

"Be that as it may, we were--and no doubt, still are--held under scrutiny, with that whole Phoenix Society brouhaha. It is imperative we remain on our best behaviour, a feat that you did not exactly manage effortlessly with your shenanigans in Edinburgh." Wellington Books, By Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris in The Jaus Affair

"Remember this always: the fly, even in paradise, must always exist on shit."By Frances Pauli from The Fly in Paradise

"'In hundreds of years,' she continued, voice darker and sober now, 'I've only let myself love two people. You don't have that kind of time, though. You're mortal. You don't get to make a lot of mistakes before you kick it and if you wait, you get screwed over.'"By Skyla Dawn Cameron from Hunter

"...But I don't want you to be afraid to take risks. If it's worth it...If the person in his eyes is the person you want to be, the person you know you could be...then don't be scared..."By Nicole Peeler from Tracking the Tempest

"We are what we choose to be, girl," she said. "Let others determine your worth, and you've already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves..."By Peter V. Brett from The Warded Man.

"There are no honorable causes. There is no good or evil. Evil is only what we call those who oppose us."By Michael J. Sullivan from Nyphron Rising.

"That we are both right. One truth doesn't refute another. Truth doesn't lie in the object, but in how we see it."By Michael J. Sullivan from Nyphron Rising..

"Death is real, irreversible, and awful. Do you want some advice? Don't wait until you're dead to try to communicate. Do it now. You still have a chance. Not a great one, but a better one than you will have. If you think it's hard to get your point across now, and that no one really understands what you're about, just try it when you're dead." By Alexander Jablokov from Brain Thief.

"I wasn't running now so much as stumbling quickly, panting like a geriatric lion." By Nicole Peeler from Tempest Rising.

"Watch for the ones who leave your mouth hanging open. Study them, find out what they love and what they fear. Dig the treasure out of their soul and hold it to the light." He leaned in even closer now, so that Neb could smell the wine on his breath. "Then Be like them."By Ken Scholes from Lemantation.

The truth, the Seventeenth Gospel said, is a seed planted in a field of stones beneath a stone and guarded by snakes. To have at it, be strong enough to move the stone, patient enough to dig the hole and fast enough to dodge the viper's fang.By Ken Scholes from Lamentation.

I took a deep breath, "I took the nahlrout because I didn't want to faint. I needed to let them know they couldn't hurt me. I've learned that the best way to stay safe is to make your enemies think you can't be hurt." It sounded ugly to say it so starkly, but it was the truth. I looked at him defiantly.By Patrick Rothfuss from The Name of the Wind.

"We can be strong in the face of kings and priest, my lady," Ashe replied, "but to live is to have worries and uncertainties. Keep them inside, and they will destroy you for certain-leaving behind a person so callused that emotion can find no root in his heart."By Brandon Sanderson from Elantris.